The national trail commemorates the route followed by Anza in 1775-76 when he led a contingent of 38 soldiers and their families to found a presidio and mission on the San Francisco Bay. Along the trail route, the visitor can experience the varied landscapes similar to those the expedition saw; learn the stories of the expedition, its members, and descendants; better understand the American Indian role in the expedition and the diversity of their cultures; and appreciate the extent of the effects of Spanish colonial settlement of Arizona and California. The trail achieved national recognition in 1990. Now officially recognized only in the United States, the route began as far south as Culiacan, Mexico, where Anza began his recruitment. The national trail starts in Nogales, Arizona, and travels to San Francisco, California, and east around the San Francisco Bay.

The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is administered by the National Park Service in partnership with other federal, state, and local agencies, non-profit organizations, and private landowners. Non-federally owned trail sites, segments, and interpretive facilities are added to the national historic trail through certification agreements between the owner or mangers and the National Park Service.

Virtual Visitor Center

Location 

The trail extends from Nogales, Arizona, to San Francisco, California, and around the east bay of San Francisco. 
The route extends through the following states and counties: 
Arizona:
Santa Cruz; Pima, Pinal, Maricopa, Yuma 
California:
Imperial; San Diego; Riverside; Los Angeles; Ventura; Santa Barbara; San Luis Obispo; Monterey; San Benito; Santa Clara; San Mateo; San Francisco; Alameda; Contra Costa
 
• Address

600 Harrison Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, California 94107

• Telephone

415-427-1438
Fax: 415-744-4043

• Operating Hours, Seasons

Varies from site to site.  Contact individual site and segment owners or managers for more information. 
The administering office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Closed holidays and weekends. 

• Climate, Recommended Clothing

Summers along the trail in Arizona and the deserts of California are hot and dry. Temperatures are extremely high, largely precluding midday active recreation. Winters are mild and ideal for all types of outdoor recreation. Rainfall is low, generally occurring in December, January, and February. 

In the coastal California and San Francisco Bay Area portions of the route, winters are mostly frost-free and summers mild.  Outdoor recreation is a year-round possibility. The major part of these areas’ rainfall comes in the winter and early spring. The portion of the route between Gaviota on the Santa Barbara Channel and Monterey has hot dry summers and cool winters. Year-round outdoor recreation is possible, but precautions must be taken to protect from sun exposure in the summer. 
 

• Directions

At this time, the auto tour route is not marked. You can follow the auto tour route by using the highway numbers on the auto tour route map, or you can contact the administering office for information. 
A general guidebook for all national historic and scenic trails is Miller, Arthur P. and Marjorie. Trails Across America. Fulcrum Publishing, Golden, Colorado. 1996. 

• Transportation 

Trail sites and segments are most easily accessible by car, bicycle, or on foot.  Commercial busses could be used to follow most of the auto tour route and would provide stops near many of the trail sites in urban areas.  The trail route may be followed rather closely on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight and Sunset Limited lines from San Bernardino, California to San Jose. 
 
• Fees, Costs, Rates

Federal and state parks and some private sites may have admission fees.  The use of most trail segments is free. Contact local mangers for information. 

• Facilities

Visitor Centers/Exhibits
No visitor center specific to the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is planned. Visitor centers at many national parks along the route provide information on the trail. 

Programs and Activities
Numerous programs and activities are available at developed sites and in communities along the trail.  For example, Anza Days occurs in Tubac, Arizona every year on the weekend closest to October 27, the day the expedition left Tubac.  Contact Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. 

Contact individual sites and tourism information centers for more information 

Lodging and Camping Facilities
Private and public campgrounds are found all along the trail route.  None are formally affiliated with the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.  Camping fees vary.  Hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast inns are found in communities along he trail  Contact state and local tourism offices for information. 

Food, Supplies 
Food and supplies can be found in many communities along the trail. Opportunities are frequent in California from Riverside to the San Francisco area and less frequent in the desert areas of Arizona and California 

Other Opportunities, Concessions, and NPS-Managed Visitor Facilities 
The Tumacacori National Historical Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Channel Islands National Park, The Presidio of San Francisco/Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and John Muir National Historic Site all provide services.  Other visitor information centers will be identified. 

Accessibility
Most buildings at federal and state sites generally meet American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards.  Some trail segments in urban areas such as Tucson, Arizona, or Los Angeles, California, may be accessible to all.  However, many of the more rural trail segments are located along rivers in sandy soils and may not be appropriate for wheelchair use.  Because of the varied character of  the many sites and trail segments, it is best to inquire locally about accessibility when you contact specific sites about your visit. 
 

• Recommended Activities/Park Use

Portions of the historic trail in California and Arizona are available locally as hiking trails. 

• Back Country Reservations/Permits 

Reservations and permits are not needed to visit sites managed by the National Park Service.  Other sites may have requirements and should be contacted on a case by case basis. 
 
• Basic Recommendations

The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail runs 1200 miles in two states and little of it is owned or managed by the National Park Service.  Depending on your time an interest, exploring this web site and Web de Anza may provide you enough information.  For a trail experience, you can travel the Auto Tour Route that follows or is parallel to the historic route and stop for a hike at one of the trail segments described under 
 
• Special Events/Programs

Each year a variety of special events and activities occur along the route of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.  For information, contact local tourist bureaus.

Last Updated: Thursday, 10/29/98, 10:30 a.m.
http://www.nps.gov/juba/